City Park Grill’s Speakeasy Cocktails

Bottoms Up

By Lynda Wheatley | March 12, 2022

Way back in 1875, when Alanso McCarthy built the eponymous McCarthy Hall in Petoskey, it was known for three things: billiards, cigars, and “intoxicating beverages.” The location’s notoriety as a go-to for good libations persisted throughout the years—even through those pesky bits between 1917 and 1933. Then-owner Frank Fotchtman flouted Michigan’s Prohibition rules and built tunnels under the building to transport liquor to and fro. Though the tunnels are long gone, several of their old doorways remain visible in the basement today. Above ground, the building’s tenant since 1997, City Park Grill, is paying homage to its Prohibition heritage with a just-added round of speakeasy-style drinks on its cocktail menu: the Rum Scoundrel (Bacardi Silver rum, fresh lime juice, brown sugar simple syrup; $8), the White Lady (Beefeater gin, Cointreau, fresh lemon juice; $10), Jack Rose (apple brandy, grenadine, fresh lemon juice; $10), and the Ward 8 (Bulleit rye whiskey, orange juice, lemon juice, and a splash of grenadine; $12). Find them all at 432 E. Lake St. cityparkgrill.com.